Fresno County early inmate release a preview for state?

In Fresno County, the financial crisis caused deep budget cuts at the sheriff’s office. The sheriff laid off corrections officers and reduced the number of jail inmates. And now, some argue, auto thefts are on the rise because there are more criminals on the streets.

While this particular scenario is playing out in Fresno, some version of it could be coming to communities all over California.

One of Gov. Jerry Brown’s key budget fixes is shifting non-violent, low-level inmates from overcrowded state prisons to county jails – many of which are crowded too. It is cheaper for California to house them locally and the governor’s office estimates saving $458 million with the change.

But it is not clear exactly how the county facilities will take these thousands of felons. Even if state officials avoid an early release program, local agencies might enact some kind of initiative themselves.

In 2009, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office decided it could not afford to hold the inmates it already had after a round of funding cuts. The Fresno Bee reported that Sheriff Margaret Mims has eliminated 75 positions, with jail staffing taking the brunt of the hit to protect regular patrol jobs. Mims last year filed a lawsuit against the county’s board of supervisors to protect her discretion over the sheriff’s office budget.

Over the past year and a half, roughly 15,000 inmates have been released early, according to the Bee.

Comments

Uh...I don't see any correlation using statistical methodology here:
Car thieves were routinely released beginning in 2009. In 2009 the number of car thefts bottomed out. Where is the rise in car thefts? Is it statistically significant? Can it be attributed to the recession as well?
Sensationalist reporting with not one fact to back up the first paragraph which the title alludes to helps no cause or effort because it tends to make the public as stupid as the article.

WOW...that's amazing. You let more criminals out on the streets and there's more crime...and if you stick your finger in your eye it'll hurt.........DAH! Are these people in charge just stupid or brain dead, or both?